


Cold Cases and Hunger

by LetheOblivion



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Endgame Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan, F/F, Slow Burn, Swan Queen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-04-17 00:44:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4646064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetheOblivion/pseuds/LetheOblivion
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina is the head of Mills & Locksley Law firm. Four months after a tragic accident, she starts getting notes in red envelopes, who is this mysterious admirer, and will they ever have a chance at winning Regina's heart again after it has been damaged and closed up? (M rated for later chapters)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Litttle Note

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my lovely readers, this is a new story of mine that I have been working on for quite some time now, and after weeks of thinking it through I decided I was going to write it and do this story.  
> Why I have been doubting this is because there are subjects involved that are rather painful to me, but I suppose that this way I have some sort of way to explain how it is to have it.  
> WARNING: In this story Regina has an eating disorder and many other mental struggles, if you don't want to read it because of that , than that is okay, but this is my way of dealing with my own since I relapsed into it I suppose.  
> Happy reading and I hope you are going to like this story!  
> x R.

She felt the hunger nag at her, gnawing at her stomach like some beast the was devouring her from within, growling, but every time she even dared to look at food her mother’s words rang in her mind telling her not to do it. Not to eat that food if she wanted to risk losing the figure she trained so hard for.

“Regina, you alright?” She heard her assistant Ashley ask her in that sweet soft voice she always used. It was that voice, that just like today, shook her out of her train of thoughts.

“I'm fine, I'm fine. Any more information about the Kingsley case?” She asked the blonde as she popped a piece of mint flavoured chewing gum in her mouth to still the gnawing beast. The Kinsley case had been something she had been working on for a rather long time now, The daughter of the big Leopold Kingsley, Mary Margaret Kingsley had been trialed for the murder of Kathryn Nolan, the wife of the now widower David Nolan. The complicated part about this was that Mary and David were having an affair, or well, it was rumoured that they had.

And now it was Regina’s job, one of the partners of one of the biggest law firms in the whole New York, to prove that Mary was innocent, and that she had been framed by that nasty Mr. Glass. At least that is what she is trying to prove, but for that she will need evidence.

“Ashley call our investigator Emma please, We need her help for this one.” Regina said, and then she realized she had completely missed Ashley’s answer about the Kingsley case, her reeling mind, and painfully empty stomach were distracting her more than she thought.

That aside though, she needed to focus on this case, because it was important. The Kingsley’s were people that needed her firm rather often and were big spenders when it came to lawyers, for they only wanted the best senior associates, or the partners of the firm, no one less.

“Ma'am I already told you, Ms. Swan wants to talk to you as soon as possible with some new information she has found on Mr. Glass.” Ashley said with a slightly furrowed brow.

Her boss had been doing this a lot more as of late, zoning out for a few moments, sometimes gripping her stomach in the process as if it were hurting. She seemed less focused, or well it seemed like she wasn't as focused as she was a few months back. But, asking questions wasn't something she was allowed to do, she had learned that the hard way, when Regina released her temper onto the poor blonde.

“Oh right, my apologies for that, Tell Emma I will be able to have her in my office in about thirty minutes.” Regina said and then walked back into her own rather large office, back to doing some of the paper work her partner Locksley hadn’t finished before his break of two weeks he was taking. Not that she had a problem with that, the man deserved a break, that way he, his wife Marian, and his two year old son Roland were at least able to have some family time together.

It was just a lot to be handling right now, because it was a rather large amount of paperwork that had to be done. This needed to be finished before she could even fully work on the Kingsley case of course.  
So Regina put on her reading glasses, that always had been just a bit too big, but they were a gift from her father, so she would never even want another pair, and got on with the paperwork. Praying that the gnawing of the beast called hunger would be dormant for just a while longer. Just so that she could finish this.

This was just some paperwork to finalise a case that they had already won, and to be honest, she didn’t really mind doing it, because she saw it as a change to shut her overfull brain off for a moment and just not think.

After the last few months, she was happy to ‘not think’ for a moment or two, before the blonde investigator came along. This shouldn’t take that long anyway.  
Hunger. No, not hunger. She wasn't hungry, she needed to focus on the papers in front of her, not on the body part that always seemed to betray her in the silent moments by letting out a loud growl, no. Not hunger.

Regina adjusted the black-rimmed reading glasses on her nose, that kept sliding off and scanned the pages with her eyes to make sure there were no mistakes, and then sign on the lines that needed her signature.

Just when she scrawled down the last signature with her fountain pen, there was a distinct knock on her door, that three seconds later swung open, to make Regina aware of the blonde presence.  
that damned woman still knew nothing of manners, or waiting for permission to enter her office, oh well.

“Good day Gina.” The blonde said with a wide smile, her whole dominant presence immediately filling the room, and making Regina feel suffocated. The blonde just had something about her, that always demanded that you look at her, that always managed to drag your attention from what you were doing towards her.

“It is Ms. Mills for you, or is your brain too ruined by your cheap coffee to understand that?” Regina snarled, she didn’t really want to be that bitchy and short with the blonde, but her mood wasn't the best today, and it now felt like the beast that was previously gnawing at her stomach, was devouring it, demanding more food. That and other things were excellent conditions for a short temper and a bad mood in Regina’s book.

“I see the kitty has her claws out this time.” Emma said, unfazed by the brunette’s temper, she had seen it too many times to be scared of it anymore really, and she knew the brunette had her reasons to be short tempered, so she accepted it for now. “I wanted to meet with you, because I had some new things on the Kingsley case, Ms. Mills.” The blonde said before a hot headed brunette could react to the previous comment of Emma.

“Well stop wasting time then, and show me what you have. We only have one month before it will be taken to court, we need all the information and proof we can get. I cannot afford to lose this case, it will give us a bad name and make us lose an important client.” Regina said seriously and took off her reading glasses to look straight at Emma without any obstrictions.

“Well I have some information that will make Mr. Glass’s alibi invalid. Turns out that he wasn’t late at his work making over hours, he was spotted by security cameras only a mile away from the crime scene.” The blonde said and situated herself on one of the more luxurious chair inside Regina’s big office. Chairs that were most of the time only used by said blonde, since the brunette only ever sat at her desk or paced around in the room, or as of late, stare out of the enormous glass window that looked over a vast sight of New York City.

The blonde might not admit it out loud, but the brunette intrigued her in many ways no other person ever had. The woman was poised, mysterious. An enigma wrapped in a puzzle, shrouded by mist and almost impossible to figure out. That was what Emma used as excuse to watch her, to look at how sometimes those brown orbs showed so many emotions, and other times seemed shielded off to the rest of the world, and radiated ice into the whole room, making the temperature drop by a few degrees. Or well, that was what is felt like.

“Okay, so he was seen there, but how can we prove to the jury and the judge that he was guilty, that he planted the murder weapon on Mary and made her seem like the one that has done the killing?” Regina then said, not even looking at Emma but staring out of the window again, thus, missing the look Emma gave her.

“Well, you know those unidentified fingerprints that were found on the murder weapon? I may have found out that those are his as well.” Emma said with a proud smile, for once a case was actually going without too much trouble.

“That is good. that is better than good, it is magnificent. And since we have his motive, this should make preparing the speech and proving Mary innocent, no too big of a problem.” Regina said, the ghost of a smile dancing at her lips. That was the closest she would come to smiling nowadays.

Emma felt that familiar pang of pain ricochet through her heart again at seeing Regina’s face. It had been the closest to smiling Emma had ever seen Regina come, but the pain in her eyes and her whole demeanor stopped it from actually looking like a smile, something that made Emma ache to see a genuine smile on that face, and those eyes that would actually shine with happiness. She just guessed that something like that would not be happening anytime soon. Not after what happening four months ago, it actually surprised Emma that the accident, she was already back to work. Not that many people actually know what happened. They just know there was something that had changed the head of this law firm, and that her temper was now shorter than ever and more fiery than ever, and that she would refuse most cases or give them to the senior associates. Emma knew because well, it was what she did, gathering intel on people that didn't want anyone to know that intel was her job. So she found out what happened, and now she had no idea how in hell Regina could even do her job anymore, but it wasn't her place to ask something like that about something as sensitive as that.

“Ms. Swan.” Regina said with a hint of anger lacing her voice. “Are you even listening to me?” The brunette said, her temper already starting to flare.

“Sorry, my thoughts drifted off for a second.”

“Daydreaming can be done outside of work hours, thank you. If you weren’t so damned good at your job, I would have certainly fired you already, you know that right?” Regina said angrily and hoped that would make Emma leave, she wanted solitude. she wanted to be alone and have silence around her. To be without such a demanding presence in the room, because it wasn’t something she needed right now.

Emma got the message loud and clear, having heard that threat at least ten times the last four months already, and accepting them as they come really, it was only logical that she needed to let the pent up emotions go somehow. Emma left the room and let Regina be, she had a job to do anyway, finding out how they could make sure that Sydney Glass was going to get what he deserved.

Regina let out a sigh as Emma left and sank down into her chair, her hand automatically going towards the picture on her desk. It was a move she had made hundreds of times, ever since she had put the picture down here a year ago. Sometimes she picked it up and looked at it several times a day. Well that was before the accident of course. After?

Well after the accident she hadn’t dared to look at it. pushed it down so the photo was pressed against the surface of her desk.

the only thing seeing the photo now was the dark brown wood of her desk, since her eyes couldn’t take it. couldn't look at what she had lost, what she had lost because of herself. Because she- No, she couldn't think about this. couldn’t possibly go over it again at work, because that would make her break again. and she hadn’t done that for three and a half months right now.

She was a strong woman that would not waste her time crying, emotions were only a waste of time, or so her mother had taught her. Her mother, the only family she had left right about now.

Life was a cruel thing, but she already knew that. That was a thing that was taught to her at a very young age she supposed, but it would do no good to dwell on any of that now.

She stopped her hand an inch before it reached the frame that was holding the picture she was able to look at anymore. She was not going to do it, going to be weak. No, that wasn’t who she was. She would never be weak again.

Regina released a deep sigh and let her head sink down in her hands, her elbows resting on the desk. Everyday without them seemed to just get harder and harder. Eat at her more and more. And her damned stomach would not give up with the rumbling. The gnawing getting worse, her stomach begging, pleading for some sustenance that would feed her body and give her the energy it needed to function normally again. She would not give in to that, though, hadn't been doing it for weeks now.

She had a schedule she would stick to. A maximum of a little amount of calories a day. No more, and sometimes even less. Just enough so that she wouldn’t go and faint in the office, because well, that would raise far too much suspicion.

For as far as she knew, that was nobody that knew about what had happened to her four months ago, or well not to her but to..

well that didn’t matter, the point was, nobody knew what had happened. Nobody knew about her eating habits, and that was the way she wanted to keep things.

Not that that paralegal Anna would come to her again and ask if something was wrong. If there was she wanted to talk about. Not that Regina would ever want to open up to anyone, let alone that annoying over excited, and overly happy girl Anna Winter. She was good at her job, if Regina was honest, but just far too chipper and chatty, not someone she likes to get along with really.

But then again, Regina didn’t really get along with anyone. She didn't have friends, not really. She didn't have her fa- No, don't think about it. Thinking about it will make the pain worse than it already is. To summarize it, no she didn't have friends. She didn’t have anyone to talk to, because her mother was… well her mother.

Regina heaved another sigh and got herself to sit upright again before she got her reading glasses and started reading files and papers again with information for some of the cases she has worked on or is still working on.

The red envelope was only now noticed by Regina and she carefully picked it up from between some other files. How did something with such an obvious colour get there without her watchful eye not even catching it? Normally she would have definitely noticed something like that…

She examined the envelope but couldn't detect whom would have had the brains to send something to her. She never got something, her world didn’t work that way. She kept staring at the envelope that was held between her thumb and finger as if it were going to do something special if she kept staring at it.

After a few minutes, with nothing happening she turned the envelope around and opened it. Inside it she found a letter. Well more of a note really, since it only had a few sentences on it, was it a quote? She furrowed her brow as she read it, and for the first time in four months, the tiniest of smiles formed on her face, the ends of her lips slightly pointing upwards. If you didn't look very closely you wouldn't even see it.

_“ ‘Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, It became a butterfly’_   
_You may feel like your world is over, but after even the heaviest of rainfalls, there will be a rainbow.”_

  
Regina read it multiple times, the tiny mile not leaving her face. Someone cared for her. Someone knew what happened four months ago, and wanted to cheer her up.

Her brow furrowed when she thought about it, who would want to cheer her up? Who would even care for her enough to leave this little note? And it didn't even say who the mystery person is…

That didn't matter though, not now. Now she was going to cherish this little note and keep it close to her, keep it somewhere where she could continue to read it until the paper itself was torn to pieces from folding it too much. Regina held the piece of paper closer to her heart before slipping it into the pocket of her blazer.

There really was someone out that that dared to care for her. that wanted her to be happy, or well feel a bit better than how she was feeling right now.

She now just prayed to whatever was out there, this wouldn't be the only little note she would get.

 


	2. A Nice Gesture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again my lovely readers,
> 
> for this chapter I have to warn you, because while writing this I even got tears in my eyes, and I NEVER get tears in my eyes while writing, so be warned at how painful this will be.
> 
> I will be trying to update this as soon as possible again, but it can take a week or two before I do because school is about to start again and I need to get ready for it, and that combined with other things in my personal life right now…
> 
> let's just say I am busy.
> 
> Happy reading
> 
> x R

 

**A Nice Gesture**

_An entire week_.

An entire week without another note, another one of those red envelopes that would cheer her up. Somehow without the notes, the world seemed a little bit dimmer. Sad. Even the weather had been a grey cloudy mess that released rain ever so often.

Regina was on her way to the big skyscraper her Law firm was located, and after just a few minutes of walking the sky decided to cry, to let all the fluids the cloud were withholding go, just at the moment Regina was walking there. Her whole body was soaked after only a few seconds of walking and she sighed, as if it could get any worse, a car sped past her, spraying even more water over her already shivering frame.

If you added that to the clawing hunger that had already rattled her fragile body, together with a pounding headache, this day really couldn't get any worse, could it? It certainly didn't feel like it when her umbrella flew out of her hands a few minutes before because of the strong surges of wind that were lapping around her.

The strong winds making her scarf dance around her neck and her clothes trying to escape from being wrapped around her.

A soft cough rattled up in her throat and escaped her mouth as she put her hand in front of it to at least not look rude as a coughing fit racked her body as well. Great, it apparently could get worse. Apparently the universe hated her so much and now gave her a cold to deal with as well, a cold that would probably last rather long since her body was… well not really that healthy anymore.

When she finally did reach the familiar skyscraper she sighed with relief and stepped inside, the warmth of the building wrapping around her like a warm blanket. enveloping her in a warm cocoon she had so longed for while walked in the storm that was still raging outside.

"Ms Mills!" She heard being called with urgency, even though it still felt strange to hear Ms instead of Mrs. But that was what she was now, no longer a married woman, no longer a happy woman, no longer anything really. The title daughter had melted away when her father was buried under a blanket of dirt in the graveyard.

"Ms Mills? Why didn't you take the car when it was this kind of weather, didn't you watch the news report about the weather, Miss?" The concerned voice asked and then she felt a hand on her shoulder. That made her slowly turn around and face the person that seemed concerned for her, probably only because she was the one that made sure she and all the other employees here got paid, but oh well.

"I wanted some fresh air before I was locked up in my office for the whole day again, this current case is grating my nerves and I need my full focus for it." Regina said before another coughing fit got the best of her and she covered her mouth again, as her whole body was being, what felt like, wrecked by the force of the coughs.

"Ms Mills, are you sure you're fit for work, you don't seem so well." The voice said again and just then it dawned on Regina that this was Ruby Lucas, sweet girl really, had an enormous crush on one of her paralegals Belle French. Funny really, they both really liked each other, but neither dared to give in to it, afraid of rejection. Maybe she should give them a push towards the other, you never know when you chance at love flies away and never comes back after all.

"I'm well enough for work Ms Lucas, I don't see how it is your business. Now please tell Ashley I wish not to be disturbed this day when she comes in in about an hour fom now. Good day." Regina said, and then walked towards the elevator and went to the top floor, her office, her little private place away from everybody else.

When she reached her floor she walked into her familiar black and white safe place and took off her black trench coat that was drenched, the water had been rather unforgiving on it. So unforgiving it seemed, that the water had seeped through the fabric and even managed to soak the clothes beneath it, her power suit ruined.

She walked to the little bathroom she had that was connected to her office, because it wasn't like she hadn't spent more than one night in her actual office working over hours for a particularly hard case, and since she always had to look pristine, she needed somewhere she could freshen up after such a night, and thus always had a change of clothes and makeup supplies stored there.

She put on the black slacks and the light blue jumper, the fabric soft against her skin, and didn't bother with the heels, getting her warm and rather thick fluffy socks to put on her feet, everybody had a guilty pleasure, and well, she liked to keep her feet warm and surrounded by soft fluffy fabrics. And after being frozen because of the water, her feet were deserving of the socks.

After she changed, she removed all the makeup that was half gone already, from her face and returned behind her desk, bare faced of any makeup, and in rather comfortable clothes.

She already knew today would be an all nighter, and she wouldn't be having anyone over in her office, so why not wear her most comfortable clothes and just get to work.

Trying to ignore her incredibly painful stomach that was pleading for food and the pounding in her head that felt like it was going to make her head explode, she put on the black rimmed glasses that slid down the slope of her nose, and got to work, throwing herself into the Kingsley case.

Regina never had really liked the fact of crying, how it would make you incoherent of any normally audible speech, your eyes leaking water that ruined your whole appearance, the snottering and sniffling and most of all the sobs that came with it, sobs that would rack your body and make you unable to stand on your own two feet most of the time, sending you either do the floor as your legs gave up on you, or force you to seek a safe place to sit down and let the sobs take over your body.

Regina hated it. It made you look weak and made you incompetent of doing anything productive.

So when a crying Mary Margaret Kingsley showed up in her office two days ago, she felt a strong feeling of loathing for the girl, but also a slight sliver of compassion, this was of course because an innocent girl like Mary was now on a trial for a murder she did not commit. How anyone could ever think that far too precious and goody goody person could commit murder, she had no clue.

But how to console the crying figure in front of her, that was something she also had no clue of how to do. Of course she had soothed people before, but not since…

Well not for a while, and with her own emotions as unorganized as they were, well she was just frozen in place and could only hope it would stop soon.

What she had not expected however, was that when she got up to lead the girl to a couch to sit, the crying girl threw her arms around Regina's body and cried out on her shoulder.

Regina froze of course, every muscle tensing. Why the hell would that girl think it wise to hug her? She didn't like physical contact with people she didn't know. She hated it really, and thus tried to push the crying messy body off of her, before it would ruin her pristine white blouse she was wearing that day.

after three whole minutes of sobbing against a tensed body Mary Margaret got the message and backed off into her own blubbering and sobbing mess again, sniffling as she tried to meet Regina's eyes through the tears that were surprisingly still leaving her eyes. It amazed egina really, that after how the tears were streaming over the red puffy cheeks, they weren't dried up by now, but that wasn't something she should be focussing on.

After another ten minutes Mary Margaret was finally able to say something, and thus was able to confirm the fact that she and David had been together in a relatonship, but that in her defence, David Nolan had promised to divorce Kathryn and be with her without keeping it a secret anymore.

The reason why she was crying was thrown at her then with the explenation, that David now denies any of those claims, denies them and has broken Mary Margaret's heart by saying they were over, since he couldn't be with someone that murdered his wife. Because in David's eyes Mary Margaret was the one who had done it to, apparently, speed up the process of the divorce. Which of course was not true, that claim had become more of a mantra really as Mary tried to explain over and over again that she hadn't done it through her whole explanation of it all. after that there were no audible words that left mary margaret's mouth as she turned into a blubbery crying mess again, and Regina decided to sent the girl out of her office and towards her assistant that could probably deal better with the problem then she now could.

But the thing about the visit was, that it had her alarms bells ringing rather badly. Why would someone you were supposed to be in love with break up with the other that easily. If David really knew the woman he was having an affair with, he would have known that timid and hopeful woman would never even be capable of hurting a fly, let alone killing a person out of jealousy. That was just an idiotic thought that could not be the real reason of the break up.

Regina sighed as she thought back at that afternoon. Mary had left after that and she had tried to come up with solutions as to why David was doing what he was doing, unless he himself was guilty of course. But they were already busy with proving that it had been Sydney, so what the hell would have been the role of David in this all. She chewed on her lip in concentration, like she did a lot nowadays, and tried to come up with something that would be a logical option.

This was how the whole day went, her coming up with things that David could have done to aid in the murder of Kathryn, but most of the times when she looked at the information they had, those theories would be proven wrong and she had to try again.

Then a coughing fit would take over hery body for a few minutes, rattling her whole body.

After a while she got tired, no food for two and a half days straight would do that to you, and thus went and laid down on the couch in her office and before she knew it she drifted off to sleep, the empty darkness luring her into a deep rest that would soon come around and plague her with memories she suppressed into the darkest parts of her mind. coming out into the light and ruin her already ruined day even further.

_She sat in the car driving to her house, well no their house really. She looked to the side for a moment, smiling brightly at the figure next to her in the passenger seat that smiled back at her, squeezing her hand softly as she did so. That was like him, always finding ways to reassure her, making her always feel at peace, even though she had always been an anxiety filled being after the abusive relationship she had had with that damned Graham Hunter. But now that she had her Daniel with her, that always was gentle sweet and loving with her, always patient with her, it was okay. She looked to the back of the car where her father sat and her little toddler, her little Henry. It looked so sweet really, Henry Sr. and Henry Jr. next to each other, chatting with one another both wearing smiles that warmed up her heart._

_If she hadn't done that. If she hadn't looked to the back of the car…_

_It was all happening in slow motion now, her turning back to look at the road, tires screeching, glass crashing, metal scrunching together, the other car exploding on Daniel's side where it had slammed into them. Oh the ringing, the ringing wouldn't stop. She tried to scream, screamed her husband's name, her father's name, her son's name, tried to make contact with them, but all was hazy, unclear. like a foggy glass was placed in front of her eyes, everything hurt, but nothing hurt as much as her heart did at that moment._

_She felt other people call out to her, to them, then sirens came, so many flashing lights. So damned man flashing lights that she felt blinded by them. Blinded when she desperately tried to see what had happened to her family, to the people she loved and the only people in her life that mattered._

_Then there were people right behind her._

_Pain._

_Cutting open the door of the car, hands all over her._

_More pain._

_Checking for a pulse? for a sign of life? Hands pulled her onto a brancart._

_More pain._

_A blanket being placed over her as she was secured into the ambulance._

Pain _._

_Pain was the only thing that was searing through her. She never passed out though, never got the bliss wash over her, that was unconsciousness. Oh no, someone out there had wanted her to see it all. How they couldn't even get Daniel's body out of the car, half of his body burnt by the explosion of the other car, the other half so damaged he didn't even look like himself anymore. But how could he?_

_He was dead now._

_than there came the moment she wished her own heart could have stopped beating forever, the dead body of her little boy, of her precious little prince that was her world, her sunshine, the thing that gave her life, was hoisted out of the wrecked car. His little eyes open and without any sign of life glazed over and cold, the rest of the body ruined, blood everywhere. Her little boy was dead._

_Her husband was dead, and oh god, her father. Her father, no please that couldn't be happening, all of her family, well all the family that loved her, died. They all just died._

_She was alone now, alone in this world. No Father, No husband and No son. Not anymore. Her perfect life ruined._

_She was no daughter anymore, no wife anymore, no mother anymore. She was nothing anymore, not in her eyes now._

Emma knocked on the door of Regina's office, and after having no answer after three minutes she decided to turn around and go, but then she heard something from inside the office. Was it whimpering? Crying? What? Regina and crying, that did not fit together.

Emma opened the door and found an adorable Regina Mills sleeping on the couch with Fluffy light blue socks on her feet, and just not in as uptight clothing as she normally wore. But what really threw her off was the distressed face of the woman, there were no tears, but the pure look of horror and pain on the face was enough to create a crack in her heart.

She crouched down next to the brunette and put a tentative hand on the shoulder of the woman, knowing she does not like to be touched in any way.

"Regina. Regina wake up, you're having a nightmare." Emma said softly as worry pulsed through the blonde's body. Regina was always poised, poised and well rather emotionless unless you managed to get under her skin, then she would throw her full temper at you.

Brown eyes, that were glazed over, frantically looked around the room as Regina tried to get up. Suddenly out of breath and her heartbeat erratically she tried to convince herself that this was reality, the car accident was over. It was history for her now, nothing to really do about it.

Regina pulled her knees to her chest and calmed her breathing. They were gone. They were never coming back. Breaking down again was not something she could afford. She was the head of this firm, well together with Robin, but still she always was more in charge than he really was. This firm needed her focused and sharp, not as a crying mess. no.

She was fine.

Fine.

Was she fine?

Emma observed the brunette, how the look of pure fear and pain, melted away, or not really melted away. But a mask came in front of it. A mask of stone cold gaze was what covered up the swirling emotions in those brown orbs, brown orbs that were underlined with dark bags under the eyes of Regina, bags that even makeup could not cover up anymore. or how the woman was getting thinner and thinner by the day it seemed.

"Regina?" Emma tried again and now finally made eye contact with to woman who was now curled up into herself on the couch, she looked so small and fragile like that, it even looked like the brunette was still trembling slightly.

Regina closed up and just shook her head as she buried her face in her knees, hugging them closer against her body, a little breakdown, that was inevitable it seemed, for her body trembled and the tears were burning in her eyes, pleading to be spilled over her cheeks. She hated that anyone saw her like this. She would rather be viewed as a cold person. A heartless person, that was feared. Not this weak version of herself that couldn't even keep her own trembling body in check.

Emma took this as a sign to leave, to let the woman be alone in her grief, give her some space, but when she got up to leave she was stopped by a trembling hand on her arm and two watery brown eyes that had tears spilling out of them right now, brown orbs that were pleading her not to go, not to leave the brunette alone. So instead of going away she sat down next to the trembling body of the brunette and just sat there. Silent support. Not touching her, not even looking at the brunette, but just _being there_ for her.

And just that, that was one of the nicest gestures Regina could have received on a day like this.


End file.
